Capo tasto



(No Model.)

L. L. FILSTRUP. GAPO TASTO.

No. 514,263. Patented Feb. 6, 1894.

1522/6372 %r; ll'anif, IZZY Zru v,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFEicE.

LABS LARSEN FILSTRUP, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CAPO TASTO.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 514,263, dated February 6, 1894.

Application fileclJ'uly 11, 1893. Serial No. 480.110. (No model.)

ToaZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known thatI, LARS LARsEN FILSTRUP, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Capo Tastos, of which the following is a specification.

My object is to provide a capo tasto of improved construction whereby it shall be particularly light, durable and easy to apply and remove, prevent no obstruction to fingering the instrument to which it is applied, and in the use of which there shall be no danger of injury to the instrument by scratching.

In the drawingsFigure 1 shows my improvement in perspective secured upon the neck of a stringed instrument, to raise the pitch of the strings; Fig. 2, a top perspective view of one of the adjustable jaw pieces; Fig. 3, a broken view of a blank out of which. the part shown in Fig. 2 is formed; Fig. 4, an enlarged section taken on line 4 of Fig. 2 and viewed in the direction of the arrow; Fig. 5, a perspective view of a second adjustable jaw piece showing its under side; and Fig. 6, a section of the device taken on line 6 of Fig. 1, and enlarged.

The device is formed of two sliding members or jaw-pieces A and A respectively. The member A is shaped as shown in Fig. 2, and comprises a body-portion t with a flange or jaw 6', formed by bending its end portion over to an acute angle, and a threaded stem F. The parts i t t are formed preferably from a single rectangular blank X having transversely extending slits as w in its opposite edges. The part as, at one side of the slits, is rendered slightly bow shaped longitudinally to afiord the body portion t, and is bent, as stated,to produce the jaw-portion t. The part :0 at the opposite side of the slits, is curved transversely to describe a complete circle and form a tube as shown in Fig. 4. This tubular portion is then threaded to produce the stem t Brazed or otherwise formed upon the convex face of the body-portion t is a dove-tailed spline t*. The member A comprises a body portion 8 slightly bow-shaped, longitudinally, and bent at one end-portion to produce the end-plate s, and flange s terminating in the jaw-portion s", which latter extends at an acute angle with relation to the body-portion, as shown. In the concave face of the body-portion s is a dove-tailed groove 8 to receive the spline t and in the endplate 8 is an opening 8 for the passage of the threaded stem 29. On the stem t is an internally threaded thumb-nut 7* having a reduced sleeve portion provided with an annular groove 0". The thumb-nut on the threaded stem bears against the end plate .9, and is held against separation therefrom hya swivel connection afforded by a finger s, on the flange 3 which projects into the annular groove 1". The free end of the stem 19 may be provided with a head or button t to prevent removal of the thumb-nut from the stem. The jaw-portions t and s are each provided with an enveloping cushion q, preferably of soft rubber and in the form of a collar, sheath or hood, which is slipped over the jaw portion and cemented in place on opposite sides of the latter. The concave face of the member A is lined with a strip of preferably soft and nomresonant material 19, such as cork.

In applying the device to the neck of a guitar or other stringed instrument, the thumb nut is turned to cause it to travel along the threaded stem, in the direction of the head t and drag the member A with it to separate the jaws. The device is then placed upon the instrument with the non-resonant strip resting across the strings and the jaw portions t s at opposite sides of the neck of the instrument. Turning the thumb-nut, in the opposite direction to that described, contracts the sliding members and draws the jaws toward each other to clamp the neck between them. The angle of the jaws causes them as they bear against opposite sides of the neck to draw down the strip 19 and clamp the strings as firmly as desired against the neck.

Constructed as described my improved capo tasto is particularly simple, durable and neat in appearance. When in place it extends flat down against the neck of the instrument and odors no material obstruction to the movement of the hand in fingering.

IVhile I prefer to construct my improved capo tasto as shown and described it may be modified in the matter of details without departing from the spirit of my invention as defined by the claims. For example, the spline i may be on the concave face of the member A and the groove on the convex face of the member A without changing the operation; and other well known and equivalent adjustable engaging means may be provided between the stem and member A in place of the swiveled thumb-nut 0" shown.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a capo tasto, the combination of a sliding member A provided at one end with a clamping jaw and at its opposite end with a threaded stem, a member A upon which the member A slides, provided with a clamping jaw and with an opening in its end-portion for the passage of said stem,and an adjusting nut upon the stem, substantially as and for purpose set forth.

2. In a capo tasto, the combination of the relatively adjustable members provided with clamping jaws, enveloping cushions q cemented upon the said jaws, and engaging means between the members for securing them in adjusted relation, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a capo tasto, the combination of a sliding plate A provided at one end with a clamping jaw, and having formed integrally therewith, at its opposite end, a threaded tubular stem, a plate A upon which the plate A slides, provided with a clamping jaw and with an opening in its end-portion for the passage of said stem, and an adjusting nut upon the stem, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. A capo tasto, comprising, in combination, a member A having a body portion t bent at one end to afford a jaw t, and provided at its opposite end with a threaded stem 29, a non-resonant string-engaging strip on the under side of said body-portion, a member A having a body-portion s, an end-plate s having an opening for the passage of the stem 15 and a jaw 8 a spline and groove connection between the said members whereby they slide longitudinally upon each other and are held against separation, a nut a" engaging the thread of said stem to move thereon and swiveled to the member A, the whole being constructed and arranged to operate substantially as described.

LARS LARSEN FILSTRUP.

In presence of M. J. FRosT, J. W. DYRENFO'RTH. 

